In the thick of it, yet somehow offside, this beauty institute is situated on a little side road of Hamburg's Colonnaden. Intimate and exquisite, with a clean interior, one treatment and one reception room – that is how Andrea Lübker stages her small salon, right next to the city's hair institution that is Jaques le Coz. Even with the occasional colored details, it remains an adequate no-frills interior, because this little gem is about one thing only: effectively relaxing facial treatments.

Andrea Lübker has been working as a beautician for 25 years and, proving how good she is, many of her current customers have been around ever since. Her expertise is palpable from the first moment she touches my skin. Every movement is made sensibly and the love that comes with it transpires through the small talk and the short humorous moments inbetween.

Using high-end skin care products by Payot or my South African favorite Environ, the skind gets the full treatment through moisturizing and nourishing ingredients. Those looking to maximize the effect, are welcome to book an appointment for the hydro-peeling-therapy or the bionic cold-laser-therapy. By means of double frequency-lasers, hyaluronan gel is injected deeply into the skin which then reactivates the body's own production of collagen and immediately results in better and fresher looking skin.

I went for a classic facial. To the loungy tunes of soft jazz music, my face mask was setting in and later on, I wasn't sure whether my refreshed look came with that full portion of nutrients I spoiled my skin with or the deep, almost spheric mode of relaxation I had just waken up from. No matter what the reason, after a rush hour inner-city shopping day, a treatment at Andrea Lübker is one of the best things you could go for.